Means for securely fastening a photograph on a certificate of identity for passports



Feb. 14, 1939. R. KAUFER 2,147,408

MEANS FOR SECURELY FASTENING A PHOTOGRAPH ON A CERTIFICATE OF IDENTITY FOR PASSPORTS Original Filed July 16, 1935 Patented Feb. 14, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MEANS FOR SECURELY FASTENING A PHOTOGRAPH ON A CERTIFICATE OF Application July 16, 1935, Serial No. 31,575. Re-

newed July 12, 1938. In Austria July 16, 1934 Claims.

It is a known method to securely fasten a photograph on a certificate of identity for passports and the like by means of a strip set with rivet-pins embedded in the envelope, in the 5 square for the photograph on the cover of the certificate of identity, which pins engage perforations in a photograph, whereupon rivet heads fitted on, the ends of the rivet-pins are flattened together with the rivet-pins.

Now it may be supposed that the photograph can be removed from the certificate by cutting out the leaf, at the place where it is attached thereto, that is along the rivet-tops and rivetfeet, and another new photograph maybe perforated and slipped over the jagged rivet-tops and rivet-feet. Furthermore, it often happens that unauthorized people try to remove several sheets of a passport and to replace them by others, or to replace the whole content.

The present invention renders it quite impossible to substitute a photograph or the enclosed sheets by preventing access to the rivet-tops and rivet-feet. This is obtained by embedding the rivet strip serving to fasten the photograph between two cardboards pasted together, and forming the hard cover of the book. The ends of the cords stitching together the enclosed sheets are glued on the layers of cardboard forming the hard cover. Both outer leaves of the enclosed sheets are pasted to the inner side of the hard covers. The perforated photograph is riveted against the leaf pasted upon the cardboard 2c. The ends of the stitching-cords may be wound round the rivet-pins. Between the photograph 3 and the rivet-tops may be placed, according to the invention, small discs consisting of a suitably flexible and preferably transparent material such as Celluloid, etc. An embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 shows an opened certificate of identity in plan view, Fig.

2 shows a section on line 11-?) of Fig. 1 with the rivet tops removed. Fig. 3 shows on a larger scale a part sectional view with the rivet tops 5 clinched on the rivets. l is the outer cover whose borders Ia folded over and stuck onto the inner side of hard covers 2, 2a, which may be cut out of cardboard. The cover 2 is formed by pasting together two layers of cardboard 2b, 20. Be-

50 fore these layers are pasted together, the strips l2, which are set with rivets H and which may be made of metal, fibrous material, wire or cord are inserted between the two hard layers of the covers in such a way that these rivet-strips cannot be removed when the pasting has been done.

Also the ends of the cords by means of which the enclosed sheets a, b, c, stitched together are pasted on to the hard covers after they have been wound round the rivet-pins H. The rivet-pins pass through the cardboard layer 20. The connection between the content and the outer covers is obtained by pasting the first and last leaves on to the inner sides of the covers. 5

The enclosed sheets cover the wrapping borders and the rivet-pins I I pass through the leaves on the left side of the cover. A perforated photograph 4 is placed on the rivet pins I i and small perforated discs [8 are slipped on to the pins Ii 10 over the photograph, whereupon rivet tops M are clinched on to the pins II by means of a hammer, nippers or the like.

These small discs, which serve to protect the parts at which the photograph is attached to 15 the certificate of identity, may be made either of an opaque material such as metal (aluminium) or of a translucent or transparent material such as Cellophan or Celluloid. These discs make it quite impossible to-reach the border of the jagged 20 rivet-tops with a cutting instrument. All substitution of the photograph or of the enclosed sheets Will become at once apparent. 1

I claim:

1. Means for securely fastening a photograph on a certificate of identity for passports and the like and at the same time connecting the contents of the certificate consisting of several sheets and a cover, comprising in combination two layers of cardboard pasted together to form the stiff 30 cover of the certificate, a rivet strip embedded between said layers of cardboard with rivet pins projecting through the inner layer, means for securely fixing the photograph on said pins, and cords stitching together the sheets of the certificate, the two ends of said cord being glued on the layers of cardboard forming the cover.

2. Means as specified in claim 1 in which the outer sheet is stuck on to the inner side of the stiff cover and the rivet pins of the rivet strip pierce this outer sheet.

3. Means as specified in claim 1 in which the outer sheet is stuck on to the inner side of the stiff cover, the rivet pins of the rivet strip pierce this outer sheet and the ends of the stitching cord are wound about the rivet pins and covered by the outer sheet.

4. Means as specified in claim 1, comprising rivet tops adapted to engage the pins and secure the photograph on the cover, and small discs one on each of said pins between the photograph and rivet tops.

5. Means as specified in claim 1, comprising rivet tops adapted to engage the pins and secure the photograph on the cover, and small discs 

